Pivotal truck for disappearing beds.



, E. C. PITCHER. PIVOTAL TRUCK FOR DISAPPEARING BEDS. APPLICATION menMAR.8. 19x5.

RENEWED APR. I2, I918- Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET m 5 S w T W M ATTORNEYS.

rm: mum: urn: m. rumumm. \Iuurunl-xu. In C E. C. PITCHER.

PIVOTAL TRUCK FOR DISAPPEARING BEDS. APPLICATION FILED MARE, 1915.RENEWED APR. I2, 1918.

Patented N 0v. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ELMER C. PITOHEB, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PIVOTA L TRUCK FOR DISAPPEARING BEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. .Patented NOV. 26, 1918.

Continuation in part ofapplication SerialNo. 831,345, filed April 11,1914. This application filed March -8,

1-915,Seria1 ITO/12.827. Renewed April 12, 1918. Serial N0.-228,280.

the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, (whosepost-ofiice address is Fifth and Bryant streets) have invented new anduseful Improvements in Pivotal Trucks for Disappearing Beds, of whichthe following is a specification, forming a continuation in part of my'copending application filed April '11, 1914, Serial No. 831,345, whicheventuated into Patent No. 1,132,616, March 3, 1915. r

This invention relates more particularly to supporting trucks for movingbeds, display racks, or other furniture into and out of closets or otherconcealing recesses, through an opening in the wall thereof.

Among the objects of this invention are To provide a rolling truckadapted to roll into and out of an. inclosure, through an openingnarrower than the width of the object supported by the truck;

To provide a support for folding beds, whereby said bed may be passedthrough an opening narrower than the width of the bed.

To provide a support for folding beds, adapted to swing about a centersuch as a door post, without mechanical or combinative attachment withor to the door post or contiguous structure.

To provide a support for beds; whereby they may be swung into and out ofclosets clear of the door, and have a movement tangential to the are ofthe swing movement, to leave a passage through the door opening at alltimes.

In the art of disappearing beds, considerable difficulty is experiencedin hanging this class of beds, on vertical axes or pivots attached tothe side of .the door frame openings, through which said beds are to beswung. In modern Glass A buildings con 'structed of steel, reinforcedconcrete, with tile partitions, and having the .or plaster finish, no"suitable place or manner of attachment can be readily accomplished; re-

iquirin'g .that the architecture be subordi- Inatedto theb'ed.

.In'th'e present invention, vthe' only require .ment is sufficient-depth "to the .inclosure, to

permit the passage 'of'th'e upstanding bed, iniits evolutions about theedge of theopening. This truck permits :the installation of disappearingbeds, wherever space will permit, irrespective of the form of doorsused, whether sliding hinged, or absent entirely.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description'progresses.I shall outline infull that form of the invention selected forillustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of thepresent specification. Thenovelty of theinvention will be included inthe claims succeeding said description. From this it will be apparentthat I do not restrict myself to the showing made by said drawings anddescription, as I may adopt many variations within the scope of myinvention as expressed in said claims.

In the drawings z- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a supporting truckconstructed in accordance with this invention, having a folding bedmounted thereon in a raised position, adapted to pass through theopening shownin the back ground by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of the supporting truck with itsconcentric "guide secured to the floor and adapted to cooperate incontrolling the movement of the truck through the opening, one side jambof which is indicated in dotted lines. The platform mounted upon thetruck is shown as having been moved across the truck in a lateraldirection tangential to the swing of the truck.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail similar view showing the supporting truckwith the sliding platform removed, and illustrating the safety catch inthe operative position of th truck.

- In detail the construction illustrated in the drawing includes a .mainframe composed of the parallel side bars 1 and 2 joined by the cross bar3. The side bars 1 and 2 are preferably integral castings, having thesocket lugs 4 and 5 formed thereon to receive the cross bar 3 securedthereto by 'suitable bolts 6 and 7, forming. a rigid constructionholding the sidebars 1 and 2 in the proper fixed relation to each other.The side bars 1 and 2 are provided with the lugs 8-8 and 99respectively, that provide bearings for the opposite ends :of thespindles of the conical'rollers1010. The axes of these rollers convergetoward a common center X, indicated bycross in Fig. 2.

The taper of the rollers 10-10 and their converging axes cause therollers to describe a concentric orbit about the center X. Thisconcentric movement of the truck is definitely controlled by thesegmental guide 11, fixed to the floor XI concentric with the center X.This guide is provided with the dovetail groove 12, the overhangingedges of which slidably engage the beveled edges 13 of the tongue 14concentric with the guide, within which it slides freely. The tongue 1-1is provided with the lugs 1515, by means of which it is rigidly securedby the bolts 16 to the side bar 1.

The concentric tongue and groove guide described is necessary only incertain applications of the truck in practice. If the floor surface iseven and smooth, the conical roll ers will roll about the center X withlittle or no deviation from the true orbit, and the concentric guide maybe dispensed with. There are instances however, as in the eX- treme easeillustrated, wherein the guide is a very desirable feature of thecombination. The width of the opening X is limited with respect to thewidth of the be'd frame X to be passed therethrough, the range ofdeviation of the truck must therefore be eliminated and the truck heldto its true orbit, to prevent injury to the architectural finishsurrounding the opening in the wall. It is obvious that concentrictracks for guiding the rollers could be provided, but would be anunsightly addition in this particular application, wherein it is desiredto disguise the presence of the bed when it is not in use.

It is also obvious that the height of the bed while in the verticalposition on the truck, renders it very top heavy and easily upsets, theprevention of which is an additional function of the tongue 1% engagingthe overhanging edges of the roove, to pre vent its disengagementtherefrom in a vertical direction; thus maintaining the truck on a levelplane and permitting its free hori- Zontal movement in its definedorbit.

The extension 14 of the tongue 1; engages the socket l fixed to thefloor or the wall, to give stability and prevent upsetting of the bed,should the tongue 14 break or become disengaged from the guide, duringthe operation.

For the particular accommodation of bed frames as in Fig. 1 or otherobjects or pieces of furniture of greater Width than the width of theopening through which they are to pass; and to permit a certain latitudein their lateral placement on opposite sides .of the wall X, a platformis slidably mounted upon the truck.

The platform includes a rectangular frame made up of the side bars 17and 18, preferably of angle iron having their opposite ends rigidlyjoined to the end blocks 19 and 20. For economy in construction andassembling the end blocks 19 and 20 are preferably formed of castings.The side bars 17 and 18 rest upon the rollers 2121 and 2222 journaled onstuds projecting from the sides of the side bars 1 and 2 of the truckframe; the platform rolls freely from end to end across the truck frame,on a line tangential to the arc of movement of the truck about thecenter X, and transverse to the axes of the rollers 10, permitting theplatform to move laterally to the opening X The overhanging lug 23preferably formed integrally with the socket lug 4-, overhangs the edgeof the side bar 18, preventing the ver tical displacement of theplatform from its engagement with the truck frame.

The platform is assembled with the truck by inserting the inner edge ofthe side rail 18 under the lug and over the rollers 2121, the rail 17when lowered onto the rollers 22 has the depending flange 17, eX-tending beyond the rollers 22. The platform is prevented from transversedisplace ment on the truck by the inner edge of the side rail 18engaging the upright portion of the lug 23 on the one side, and by theflange 17 having a rubbing engagement with the extended fin 2% extendingoutward from the side rail 2, sutiicient play being permitted betweenthese lateral points of contact to permit a free movement of theplatform longitudinally while so guided.

To support the extended ends of the platform when it is moved into thelateral positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in either direction, thecaster rollers are inserted in the end blocks 19 and 20. These rollersare preferably set slightly above the plane of the floor X, upon whichthey only rest when the load on the platform overhangs the lateral.support ef the truck. To protect the surrounding architecture theseveral corners of the platform are provided with a resilient rollerbuffer 26.

In the present instance it is desirable that the weight of the bed becentered upon the truck before being moved through the opening or thetruck swung in its orbit. ii. locking means is provided for holding theplatform centrally on the truck. This lock includes the strip 27preferably of spring steel, having perforations near its opposite ends,loosely engaging studs 28 projecting above the top of the end blocks 19and 20. The center of the strip is provided with a hole 29 adapted toengage the pointed stud 30 projecting above the surface of the lug 4,winch it engages by dropping thereover, to hold the platform centrallylocked over the truck. The lock is released by a downward pressure oneither end 31 of the strip which rests upon the fulcrums 32, thedownward pressure causing the center of the spring strip 27 to bowupward, releasing the hole 29 from engagement with the stud 30,permitting free longitudinal movement of the platform on the truck. Thesame result could be accomplished by forming a notch center X, that isthe'theoretical axis of rotation is located within the confines of thewall X making it possible to swing a bed or other structure closer tothe side of the opening X than if the center of rotation or axis waswithin the opening or adjacent thereto. In its present adaptation everyfraction of an inch gained in swinging a wide bed through a relativelynarrow opening, is an important advantage. All the guiding andsupporting means for the bed including the truck and the guide 11, arewithin theinclosure of the concealing closet the presence of the bed andany of its associated parts being entirely concealed when the door isclosed. Neither the truck nor the bed depending upon the door or anypart of the wall in the performance of their several functions.

Having thus described this invention what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patents is 1. A supporting truck having a frame, rollers insaid frame the axes of which converge toward a common center and a guidespaced outward from said center and engaging said frame.

2. A supporting truck having a frame; rollers in said frame adapted totravel in an arc about a center; a guide concentric with said center;and a tongue on said frame slidably engaging said guide.

3. A supporting truck having a frame; conical rollers in said frame; theaxes of said rollers converging toward a comnn center; a guideconcentric with said center; and a tongue on said frame engaging saidguide.

4. A supporting truck having a frame; conical rollers in said frame; theaxes of said rollers converging toward a common center; a guideconcentric with said center and having a groove with an overhanginportion; a tongue slidably engaging sai groove beneath said overhangingportion.

5. A supporting truck having a frame; rollers in said frame adapted totravel. in an arc about a center; a guide concentric with said center; atongue on said frame slidably engaging said guide; a platform slidablysupported on said truck; and a lock strip on said platform detachablyengaging said truck.

6. A supporting truck having a frame; rollers in said frame adapted totravel in an are about a center; a guide concentric with said center; atongue on said frame slidably engaging said guide; a platform slidablysupported on said truck having a lateral movement tangential to the arcof movement of said truck; and means for locking said platform againstlongitudinal movement on said truck. a

7. A supporting truck having a frame; rollers in said frame adapted totravel in an arc about a center; a guide concentric with said centerengaging said frame; a platform slidably supported on said truck andmeansfor preventing the vertical and horizontal disengagement of saidplatform from said truck.

8. A supporting truck having a frame; rollers in said frame adapted totravel in an said center engaging said frame; a platform 80. are about acenter; a guide concentric with I slidably supported on said truck; anda lug on said truck overhanging said platform.

9. A supporting truck having a frame;

' rollers in said frame adapted to travel in an arcabout a center; aguide concentric with said center engaging said frame; a platformslidably supported on said truck; and a lock strip fixed on saidplatform having means intermediate its ends for detachably engaging saidtruck.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day ofFebruary, 1915. ELMER C. PITGHER.

Witnesses: v

BALDWIN VALE, A. J. HENRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner ofl'atents, Washington, D. 0.

